“He’s joined the RAF Auxiliary Air Force.”
Evelyn stared at him, her fish in its white cream sauce forgotten. “What?”
“You know he loves flying,” he said, reaching for his wine. “He’s been training with them up in York.”
Evelyn felt her heart drop as she stared at him.
“Why?” she demanded, her voice cracking. “With everything that’s going on in Germany, why on earth would he join up?”
Her father looked at her gravely.
“That is precisely why he joined the RAF,” he said quietly. “There are some that think another war is unavoidable, despite Chamberlain’s attempts to placate Hitler and keep peace in Europe. If that is true, then it wouldn’t make any difference if Robert joined now or was forced to join later.”
Evelyn’s hand began to shake and she reached for her wine. Seeing the trembling, her father reached across the table and took the glass, setting it down and clasping both her hands in his.
“Evie, this is why he didn’t tell you,” he said softly. “He knew you would worry.”
“How can I not?” she whispered miserably. “You know as well as I do that Hitler won’t stop with Austria. Have you read that squalid book of his?”
That drew a twisted smile from her father.
“No, I haven’t. But I’m not surprised to hear that you have. Where on earth did you get hold of it?”
“I came across a copy in a library in Switzerland last summer when Mother and I went for our holiday.” She pulled her hands away from his and picked up her wine. “It should be required reading for Parliament. Perhaps then they would stop trying to appease the man.”
“Now Evie, you know we can’t get into another war,” he said with a frown. “If we’re left with no alternative, then obviously we will have no choice. But we must try to avoid it all costs.”
“Don’t you think if we took a stand against Hitler that he would back down?” she demanded, her voice low.
“You don’t poke a bear with a stick, Evie.” His voice was just as low as hers. “We have no way of knowing how strong his army has become. We can’t afford to be rash.”
She let out an impatient sigh and sipped her wine, frustration building inside her as it always did these days when she and her father discussed world affairs. While they both fervently believed the same things politically, they had very different views on how to accomplish them.
“When did Robbie join?” she asked, setting her glass down and dropping the subject for the time being.
“Two months ago.” He picked up his utensils and went back to his lamb. “He flies on the weekends. There’s some talk of his going down to an airfield in Cambridge. That’s why he may not return to York. He’s waiting to hear from his squadron leader.”
“What is he flying?”
“Hurricanes,” came the unexpected answer. “But there’s a new plane now and he’s itching to transfer over to them. The first ones are to be delivered to Duxford, but then they say they’re being equipped to some of the Auxiliary squadrons.”
“Fighters!” Evelyn exclaimed, startled. “How did he end up flying those?”
Her father shrugged and sent her a grin.
“You know how your brother is. He probably bought a wing commander a bottle of Glenlivet.”
She choked back a laugh. “And here I was imagining him flying old bi-planes.”
“You really mustn’t worry, Evie,” he said suddenly, pinning her with his blue eyes so like her own. “Robert is doing his part for England, as I fear many will before long. It’s just the way of it. Worrying about him won’t change anything. It will only rob you of joy. You’re on holiday in the City of Lights, the best city in the world! Don’t bother your head with thoughts of things that may never come to be.”
Evelyn was quiet as she went back to her dinner. Her father didn’t understand. She loved spending time with her aunt and uncle in Paris. The parties, nightclubs and shopping were exciting and fun, and she was thoroughly enjoying herself. Gisele and Nicolas were full of mischief and good humor, and they had embraced her into their lives without hesitation. However, somehow she felt as if the sparkling gaiety was an illusion, and that a dark cloud was looming on the horizon. While determined to enjoy herself, Evelyn was acutely aware of the political unrest engulfing all of Europe. She fell firmly into the camp of people her father had referred to so casually. She believed another war was unavoidable, and now her brother was committed to fight in it.
A very familiar feeling of unrest and impatience settled inside her. Her father was a diplomat, working closely with very important men in London, sent to other governments on assignments that he couldn’t speak about. Now her brother was a pilot with the RAF part-time, learning to defend the skies. And what was she doing? Going dancing most nights in Paris and buying exclusive clothing from Chanel during the day.
It was something she couldn’t begin to expect her father to understand, as she wasn’t sure she understood it herself. She should be enjoying herself, and if her worst fears were realized, she should be ready to join the Women’s Auxillary at home with her mother and work to provide relief to those in need. That was what was expected of young women in her class. Her role had been laid out for her before she could even walk.
And that was precisely what was causing this overwhelming feeling of being trapped.
“What are you thinking about?” her father asked, glancing up and seeing the look on her face.
She shook her head, setting down her utensils and pushing the plate away. She had
